September 2017

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Dear Broward County Residents,

I am honored to serve as your County Commissioner, representing our coastal communities from Deerfield Beach to Fort Lauderdale and all of the amazing communities in between. Here are some recent highlights from around Broward County:

Response and Recovery Associated withHurricane Irma

Hurricane Season Continues

This month, our Florida community faced the wrath of Hurricane Irma, one of the largest and most destructive storms on record. Although the storm has passed, we must remain vigilant and remember that Hurricane season does not end until November 30th. As we continue to recover and get our community and our lives back in order, we can also learn from the events that occurred before, during and after Hurricane Irma. Residents are encouraged to continue to prepare by restocking supplies and making sure you have all emergency numbers readily available in case we face another natural disaster. Below are several helpful recovery resources as well as important numbers to know.

Recovery Resources

Homeowners are enouraged to register early for FEMA Disaster Assistance, if you have damage or sustained impact you believe may result in future damage. Register either online at disasterassistance.gov​ or call 800-621-3362.

Find out if you qualify for the Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Program, the Internal Revenue Service tax relief for survivors of disasters, or Disaster Unemployment Assistance for individuals whose employment or self-employment has been lost or interrupted by visiting http://www.broward.org/EconDev

For more information about hurricane preparation, please visit Broward.org/Hurricane or contact us at 954-765-4999.

Beach Efforts

Regarding to the Segment II Project area, the beach is narrower and at a lower elevation than pre-storm conditions. The County’s initial rough estimate is approximately 30 feet of average shoreline loss. We had our consultant conduct pre-storm and post-storm surveys every 3000’, and we should have that preliminary assessment within a couple of days. Additionally, Broward County put in a request for rehabilitation assistance to the Corps of Engineers and is working with Purchasing for an emergency procurement to perform a full survey of both Segment II and III. This survey will be used to determine official losses.

Although the beach experienced losses, the renourishment project did perform as intended and prevented damage to upland infrastructure. In areas where dunes were constructed, they prevented the water from advancing further. The City of Fort Lauderdale has started to remove the sand from A1A and estimates that it will be clear within 30 days. This includes initially removing the sand from the roads and then grading the sand back onto the beach.

Broward County Animal Care Helping Displaced Pets

Prior to the hurricane's arrival, Broward County Animal Care partnered with the Humane Society of the United States; Humane Society of Broward County, and South Florida Wildlife to transport 109 cats and 24 dogs out of Hurricane Irma's path to shelters throughout the nation. The project helped to provide shelter space to house pets that would need sheltering after the storm. Currently, Animal Care is assisting residents find their lost pet, as well as admitting pets that are being brought into the shelter. Pets that have been abandoned will be assessed and placed into the adoption process or transferred to one of the many rescue shelters and organizations that partner with Animal Care to rescue, care for, and find a new home for an adoptable pet. After the storm, it is the goal of Animal Care staff to ensure that every dog or cat that is now in need can recover from the stress of their current situation, and do anything to either reunite a pet with their owner or pave a pathway to a new and loving home.

For more information on the efforts of the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption division please visit Broward.org/Animal.

Disaster Debris Removal

Broward County and Solid Waste and Recycling Services (SWRS) play a major role in the cleanup efforts after hurricanes or other disasters that generate large amounts of debris. Below are several key points to keep in mind regarding disaster debris removal post Hurricane Irma.

Do:

Watch the news for information regarding the reinstatement of garbage and recycling services.

Understand that all services will resume as soon as possible after an emergency, although it may be several weeks before bulk waste collections are reinstated and hurricane debris is removed. The first priority will be to remove hurricane debris prior to reinstating bulk waste collection.

Rely on County personnel and collection contractors to remove debris from locations other than curbsides or public roadways.

Risk property damage or personal injury by placing debris near a fence, mailbox, poles or on top of power line equipment.

Place garbage and recycling at the curb until an announcement has been made that these services have resumed.

Place items in front of vacant lots - they won’t be collected.

The Resident's Guide to Government provides a convenient resource to help people stay connected to their local government. It includes contact information for County officials and Federal, State, and local agencies. Visitors can subscribe to eNews and social media sites. Please sign up at Broward.org/District4 to receive email updates from our office. If there is anything that we can do to assist you with your vision for a better Broward, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 954-357-7004 or by email at clamarca@broward.org.

Broward County Commission Meetings
The Broward County Commission meets generally on Tuesdays at 10:00 am in Room 422 of the Broward County Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale. (Commission Meeting Schedule and Agenda are listed here:
Broward.org/Commission/Pages/Meetings.aspx) Residents can view live coverage of the Commission meetings on Comcast Cable channels 12 and 77; Advanced Communications channels 64 and 25; AT&T U-verse channel 99, and through the County's website at broward.org/video/ The County Commission meetings are rebroadcast at 5:30 p.m. each Friday following a Tuesday Commission meeting.